Pneumatically powered piston pumps are robust and versatile systems for delivering a wide variety of fluid or semifluid materials. In general, a pneumatic piston pump includes an air motor powered by compressed air that drives a piston to pump a fluid media. Piston pumps are capable of generating relatively high fluid pressures and therefore may be used to pump higher viscosity fluids. Typical piston pumps may be used in industrial processes to deliver oil, grease, adhesives, sealants, potting, bonding agents, or any other fluid to a point of application. Additionally, typical piston pumps include simple on/off control—fluid is pumped when an operator supplies compressed air to the pump, and pumping stops when the compressed air is no longer supplied.
Current metering and dispense systems for delivering medium- to high-viscosity fluids use machined components such as servo controlled gear pumps, shot feeders, or precision valve systems to deliver the fluid. The precision-machined components of typical metering and dispense systems are expensive and have a high part count.